Bier construction



Oct. 27,1925- 1,558,558

J. H. METCALF BIER CONSTRUCTION oct.' 27, 1925. 1,558,558

Filed Nov. 24. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnuanor @mmf;

' HK/Young;

Patented (let. 27, i925.

UNITED stares lessees JAY I-I. .METCALEE OF GRAND RAJlDS, MICHIGAN.

IBIEtONSTRUCTION.

Application led November 24, 1923.

To @ZZ w71 om t may concern:

lle it known that l, dArl-l. lvlrriiianr, a citizen ot the United States oi America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county oi Kent and State oit Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bier Construction; and l do hereby declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description o't the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use `the saine.

This invention relates to a bier rwhich may be used as a support for Gaskets, which is quickly and readily disassembled so that it may be made to occupy very small space when it is desired to transport the saine, and which may be put up as a more or less permanent fixture in a show room on which a casket or col'lin may be placed for display. In addition, this construction may be used as a screen to cover a truck on which the casket or col-lin is carried it it is not placed on the bier in the rst instance. And, one feature ot this construction is that the hier may be reduced in length by rearrangement of the members making the saine, so that the same parts may beused for a bier when a full size cotlin or casket is to be placed thereon, or may also be as readily usedwhen a smaller size of coffin or casket is carried.

My invention consists of constructions whereby the above stated ends are eliectively attained, as well as many others not stated in detail at this time but which will appear as understanding ot the invention is had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

l is a perspective view of the bier in assembled form and with a casket carried thereon.

Fig. 2 is a. perspective view of the assei'nbled bier, looking at the same from the rear.

3 is a perspective view of the bier assembled in a di'erent form and closed at all sides, being shorter for shorter length caskets.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the elements used in the construction of the hier separated from each other.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the upper end of the center post used, the ligure being enlarged, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation of one Serial No. 676,806.

ot the plates usedL andshowing the keyhole slot therein which receives a headed screw on the uprightsor Yposts used in iconnesting the parts together. f

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different iigures ot the drawings.

ln the construction ofthe bier, two front plates l and 2 of iat metal are used', and in the vformation ol the saine, any desired moulding effects and ornamentation may be made thereon, this notrbeing shown as it isnot any mechanical `feature of the invention. Each ot the plates 1,2, and S has a keyhole slot a cut therethrough adjacent each corner, the larger substantially circular portion Alea of the slot being located below the narrower vertical portion lb thereof.

A number ot corner posts 5 are used in the construction, the saine being` adapted to be located vertically and each having two sides located at rig-ht angles to each other. Each post at its lower end is equipped with a caster t3. Each post at both its upper and lower ends and on the -innerside of each ot the two parts of the post located at righi angles. to each other is equipped with a headed screw 7 inserted into the post so as to leave a portion of the shank of the screw out of the post, thereby spacing the head a short distance trom the inner side of the post. ln addition, a center post 8 is used, the same, at its upper and lower ends and on its rear side carrying two oit' the screws 8 inserted into the post in the same manner described with reference to the screws inserted into the corner posts 5.

In the assembly of the parts, the front plates are connected to the center post 8 by placing the same at their inner ends against the back ot the posts, the heads of the screws 'i' on said post being passed through the larger parts la ot the slots 4f, the plates being; then moved downwardly so that the Shanks of the screws pass into the narrower vertical portions 4l of said slots. The outer ends of the plates are attached in like man` ner to the front corner posts 5, being connected to one oi the right angular parts thereof. The ends 3 are connected to the other parts of said front corner posts in the same manner, and at the rear ends of the ends 3, rear corner posts are connected in like manner. This makes a bier on which a full length casket 9 may be placed for Two end plates 3 are also used.

` and satisfactory.

support, as shown in Fig. l, or the casket may be carried on a truck and the bier used as cover or screen to the truclt whereby it will not show from in front.

rl`he same parts may be assembled as shown in Fig. 3, with the post 8 eliminated, the parts l and 2 constituting the front and back of the bier and the ends 3 the ends thereof, being connected to tl e corner posts 5, as shown. rllhis maires a more permanent construction and on it shorter Gaskets, such as used for children, may be carried. And for show rooms, the four-sided bier construction is preferred. lt is apparent that a four-sided bier may be constructed for the longer lengths, the cons ruction shown Fig. 2 being added to by two additional plates and an additional post 8 at the bacl open side, connected together and to the rear corner posts the saine way that the front plates l and 2 and the center post are cor.- nected together and to the front corner posts. For more or less permanent nso, the screws .7 may be tightened after assembly of the parts to render the disconnection of the parts not likely to occur.

This construction described is simple, economical to produce, and especially strong The invention is dei-'ined claims and all forms of within their scope are to compreliended by the inin the appended structure coming` be considered vention.

I claim:

l. In a construction of the class described.

a front plate adapted to be vertically positioned, said plate at each end being` formed with a plurality of key-hole slots, the larger portions of the slots being` located below the narrower portions thereof, corner posts one at each end of the front plate, the end edges of the plate being located back of tlify corner posts, headed members attached to the posts at the rear sides thereof, one for cach slot in the front plate, the plate and posts being detachably connected together by passage of the said members through the slots, and two end plates, one at each end of the front plate connected to the corner posts and @X- ten'ding to the rear therefrom.

2. In a construction of the class described, a front plate adapted to be vertically positioned and divided vertically between its ends to malte two parts, each of said parts of the plate at each end being formed with a plurality of key-hole slots, a coner post at each end of the plate and an intermediate post located at the vertical division of the front plate, said corner posts and intermediate post having headed. screws inserted into the saine at their rear sides for entrance into the slots in the front plate parts to detachably conn et the parts of the plates and the posts together, and two end plates, one at each' end of the front plate detachably connected to the corner posts and eX- tending' to the rear therefrom.

In testimony whereofl affix my signature.

JAY H. METGALF. 

